Low-Level Learners

This packet includes 3 WANY Jazz Chants

This material was created by Merle Rubine

She teaches at New Americans Welcome Center,

Harlem YMCA

She can be contacted at mrubine@gmail.com

 JAZZ CHANTS for We Are New York

Jazz chants are poems and stories set to a strong beat that help ESL students internalize the
music or rhythm and intonation of American English. They are a high-energy, fun way to give
students practice speaking and listening, but they can also be used to reinforce grammar points
and present new vocabulary. Jazz chants are the brainchild of Carolyn Graham, who
developed the concept while she was teaching ESL at New York University.

I first used Grahams Jazz Chants in lower-level adult beginner classes to help students loosen
up and sound more natural. It was a logical extension to write new ones to reinforce the
vocabulary, pronunciation and messages of We Are New York episodes.

Here are some guidelines for using a jazz chant in the classroom:

1. Distribute text of the chant to students.

2. Give students the opportunity to connect the storyline of the chant to the episode. Check
that the students know all the key vocabulary, and pre-teach new words and phrases.
3. Read the chant out loud while students follow the text.
4. Recite the first line of the chant at normal speed; students repeat in unison. Continue this
until the end of the chant, correcting pronunciation along the way. Repeat until students
have it.
5. Introduce the beat by tapping, clapping, or any other method of choice, and model speaking
to the beat. (Hit the first beat on the first stressed syllable.)
6. Read chant line by line, with students repeating each line, in unison, to the beat. Repeat until
students have it.
7. Divide class into two groups. Start chant. Model first line with group one repeating; model
second line with group two repeating. Continue this pattern throughout the chant. The
overall effect is a two-part dialogue between the teacher and the students.
8. As students become familiar and comfortable with the text, they take over the dialogue,
calling and answering on their own. The teacher becomes the conductor.
9. Once students have taken over the dialogue, the teacher introduces new challenges by
speeding up the tempo and encouraging vocal expression.
10. Other options: groups change roles; students conduct.

Be on Time Chant for The Wedding (Attachment A)

This chant is a wrap up exercise that references two of the themes in the episode:
Meeting at the subway at one oclock sharp What does sharp mean?
What do they mean by American time? Is American time different?

Diegos Story for Stay in School (Attachment B)

This piece summarizes the story; its also a good vehicle for pronunciation practice.
Check to see if there are any words students dont know, i.e., terrible, figure things out,
lucky. Go over pronunciation, meaning, usage and pronunciation.

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Advice to Rosa Chant for New Life Caf (Attachment C)
Remind students of the chant they did about Diego in Stay in School. Tell them that this time
they will be able to write some of a chant about Rosa. This exercise builds from a small two-
phrase chant to a larger piece that the students contribute to.
Write the following on the board:
I can't do it.
Yes, you can.
Divide students into two groups. Each group says one of the two phrases above in a round
that increases in volume and tempo. Teacher keeps the beat, either by clapping, banging on
the table or beating a drum. Ask students to make the repetition fun, to use an emotion
when they say their phrase. Ask them to say phrases as if they were happy, nervous,
surprised, upset, etc. Do this more than once, until everyone is participating and the
students are speaking in unison and enjoying themselves.
Add to the task: Refer back to the episode and the previous exercise. Elicit the things Rosa's
friends and family told her, i.e., Ming said, You're a cook, so cook; Eddie said, Try
something new; the Doctor said, Exercise, Use low fat, etc.
Elicit a list of all the people who gave advice and what the advice was. Write it on the board.
Encourage students to add more things.
Once this is done, reorganize the chant. Again, students will be in two groups. One group
will represent Rosa who says I can't do it. The other group will represent Rosa's family and
friends they will respond to Rosa by saying Yes, you can and giving advice and
suggestions. Many of the suggestions should already be on the board following the previous
exercise. See Attachment C for a model of the Advice to Rosa chant.
This is a doable exercise, but it has to be modeled first. Teacher may demonstrate by playing
both parts. Then teacher should ask two students to model the chant. Modify Attachment C
to make it work for your group. Encourage students to act out and chant with emotion, use
gestures, facial expressions, even point at Rosa.
Guide the chant towards a happy ending, where Rosa decides she can do it and will do it.

For more information, see the original Jazz Chants series by Carolyn Graham (Oxford
University Press): Jazz Chants, Jazz Chants Old and New, Small Talk: More Jazz Chants,
Grammarchants, Jazz Chants for Children, Childrens Jazz Chants Old and New, Jazz Chant Fairy
Tales, Mother Goose Jazz Chants, and Holiday Jazz Chants.

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 BE ON TIME
We Are New York: The Wedding

Group 1 Group 2

The clock is ticking.

Im running late.
Be on time.
Be on time.

What time is it?

Is it late?
I wanted to be early.
Its my big break.
Be on time.
Be on time.
If youre late,
youll blow it!
Be on time.

This happens too much!

Its got to stop!
What can I do
to be on time?
You can plan ahead
And get out of bed
And know where youre going
And know how to get there
And watch the clock
And run, dont walk

And if I do ALL of THAT,

will I be on time???

You will be if you want to be.

I want to be. I want to be.

You will! You will!

Be on time. Be on time.
Be on time. Be on time.

-3-
 DIEGOS STORY
We Are New York: Stay in School

Group 1 Group 2

Diego said he was lost in class

Lost in class

He said
Everything was Blah Blah Blah
Blah Blah Blah

Books, English, tests and more

It was hard
It was hard
It was just too hard

So he dropped out of school

and got a job
A good job?

A terrible job!

But his Uncle helped him

figure things out
Lucky Diego!
What happened next?

He went back to school

He stayed in school

He stayed in school He stayed in school

He stayed in school! He stayed in school!

Diego stayed in school Diego stayed in school

and did very well and did very well

-4-
 ADVICE TO ROSA
We Are New York: New Life Caf

ROSA FRIENDS AND FAMILY

I cant do it
Yes, you can

I cant do it
Yes, you can

I cant do it
Yes, you can
Yes, you can

How can I change?

I am who I am!
If I cant cook my Dominican dishes,
Im not me.

You can do it!

Yes, you can!

My cooking made me famous.

I love to eat them too.
If my recipes are bad now,
I dont know what to do!
You can do it!
Yes, you can!
You can change
what you eat.
You can change
the way you cook.

My rice and beans!

My famous cakes!

You can learn to

use less sugar,
and learn to use
less salt.

Youre a cook, so cook!

Just try something new.

-5-
ROSA FRIENDS AND FAMILY

But broccoli and turkey!

How delicious can that be?

Its delicious when its Rosas.

Just make it, and youll see.
This is all so different.
I dont know what to say.
But if I do it,
if I do it,
I can have my new caf.
So do it!
Yes, do it!
And have your
new caf.
I'll do it!
Yes, I'll do it!
And I'll have my new caf!

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